Container for Cannabis and Tobacco

ABSTRACT

A cannabis container has a housing with a first end that receives and encloses a removable storage bin for cannabis and a separate, stacked removable bin for a grinder. The opposite end provides separate, fixed storage compartments for a butane lighter, a pipe, rolling papers, tools or matches. The opposite ends of the housing can be hermetically sealed by twist-on caps.

BACKGROUND

Some states, like Colo., have legalized cannabis for recreational andmedicinal use. Other states have legalized cannabis for medical use.Transporting cannabis, also known as marijuana, with paraphernalia thatmany people use to smoke it can be problematic. Such paraphernaliatypically includes rolling paper, a grinder, matches or a lighter,various tools, a pipe or bowl, and a storage bin. A container forcannabis and related paraphernalia would be useful.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the preferred embodiment of a containerfor cannabis, tobacco and other leafy materials;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the container depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view looking into an end cap that covers the left endof the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an end view looking into a second cap that covers the oppositeend of the container shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the container shown in FIG. 1 having theopposing end caps removed and showing cap engagement tabs and inclinedcap sealing surfaces;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the right hand of the container shown in FIG. 1showing openings into storage compartments shown in cross section inFIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1 anddepicting a cross sectional view of the container's interior;

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the container; and

FIG. 9 shows cross-sections of the structures shown in FIG. 8 as well asFIGS. 1-6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-9 depict a container 100 for cannabis, tobacco and other leafyplants as well as components, which fit inside the container 100. Likereference numerals identify the same structure in the different figures.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-9, the container 100 comprises a housing 102,which in the preferred embodiment is essentially a cylinder, with firstand second opposing open ends, 104 and 106, respectively. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, the ends 104, 106 of the housing 102 are covered andenclosed by corresponding end caps 122, 124, which when removed provideaccess into the interior of the housing 102.

In the preferred embodiment, the housing 102, and the caps 122, 124 thatcover the ends 104, 106 are substantially cylindrical. The space insidethe housing 102 is thus also substantially cylindrical. In an alternateembodiment, the housing 102 has a cross sectional shape across themidpoint 112 that is substantially elliptical. Such an alternate housingembodiment thus resembles a flattened cylinder having correspondinglymodified caps and modified storage compartments and storage bins.

The ends 104, 106 of the housing 102 are each provided with first andsecond (two) cap engagement tabs 108, 110 respectively. The capengagement tabs are best seen in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. The shapes of thecap engagement tabs 108, 110 resemble or are substantially the same asangular sectors of an annulus, a sector being an area enclosed by tworadii of a circle or ellipse and the arc between them. An annulus isessentially a ring.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the first and second pairs of engagement tabs,108, 110 are located at, near or “proximate” the opposing ends 104, 106of the housing 102. They are also preferably diametrically opposite eachother, i.e., evenly disposed around a geometric center 125 of the caps122, 124. Alternate embodiments of the container 100 use more than twoengagement tabs at one or both ends of the housing.

The opposing ends 104, 106 of the housing 102 are considered herein ashaving inclined sealing surfaces 114 and 116. Alternate embodiments ofthe container 100 have an inclined sealing surface at only one end, theparticular end with an inclined sealing surface being a design choice.The locations of those inclined surfaces 114, 116 on the housing 102 areconsidered herein as being located “between” the engagement tabs 108,110 and a midpoint 112 of the housing 102. They are also considered toextend around the housing's exterior surface. In the preferredembodiment, the inclined sealing surfaces extend around the perimeter ofthe housing wherein a perimeter is considered to be a boundary of aclosed figure, regardless of whether the closed figure is a circle,rectangle or ellipse.

For claim construction purposes, the midpoint 112 of the housing 102 isconsidered to be a geometric plane that is substantially orthogonal to acenter line 123 of the housing 102 located halfway between therespective ends 104 and 106. The midpoint 112 can thus be considered abisector of the housing 102.

A first inclined sealing surface 114 located at the first end 104 mateswith a complementary inclined surface 126 in the left or first end cap122. A second inclined surface 116 located at the second end 106 mateswith and engages a complementary inclined sealing surface 128 in theright hand or second cap 128. Inasmuch as the housing 102 is preferablya cylinder or at least substantially cylindrical, the inclined sealingsurfaces 114, 116 on the housing 102 are essentially conical. Matinginclined sealing surfaces in the caps 126, 128 are therefore alsopreferably conical. The inclined conical surfaces 114, 116 and 126 and128 are sized and shaped such that when the end caps 122 and 124 are inplace and tightened, a “transition fit” exists between the inclinedsurfaces.

As used herein, a “transition fit” is considered herein to be amechanical fit in which a clearance exists between two pieces such thatthe two parts are held closely together yet not so tightly held togetherthat they cannot be disassembled. An interference fit, on the otherhand, is a fit between two parts so tight that they cannot be moved ordisassembled without some force. A clearance fit exists when twomechanical parts are so loosely fit together that they are able tofreely rotate or slide relative to each other. A clearance fit cannevertheless provide a hermetic as well as a water-tight seal.

As best seen in FIG. 8, The end caps, 122 and 124 are provided withslots 135 , the top ends of which merge into a helical thread 137. The“width” of the slot 135 is greater than the arc length of the capengagement tabs 108, 110. The caps 122, 124 can thus be slid over thecap engagement tabs 108, 110, over the outside perimeters 118, 120 ofthe housing 102 and locked into position by rotating the caps relativeto the cap engagement tabs 108, 110. The caps 122, 124 are thusconsidered to be “twist on” caps relative to the housing 102 albeit withstructural features 126, 128, which when mated to the ends 104, 106 ofthe housing 102 are able to provide hermetic seals to the housing 102.

Assembling the caps 108, 110 onto the ends 104, 106 of the housing 102encloses or “seals” the interior of housing 102 and its contents. Thetightness of the seal between the caps and the housing is a designchoice and can be either airtight (hermetic) or watertight dependingupon the tightness of the fit between the inclined sealing surfaces 114,116 of the housing 102 against the inclined sealing surfaces 126 and 128in the caps 122, 124 respectively.

The housing 102 and its interior space are sized, shaped and arranged toreceive two storage “compartments” 130 and 132 into the left or firstend 104. In the preferred embodiment, the second storage compartment 132is preferably a cannabis grinder, well known to those of ordinary skillin the marijuana usage art, further description of which is omitted inthe interest of brevity. As best seen in FIG. 8, the grinder 132 issized, shaped and arranged to be stacked “under” a storage tin embodiedas the first storage compartment 130. The top or first end 134 of thefirst storage compartment 130 is preferably provided with a removablecover. Similarly, a top end 136 of the second storage compartment orgrinder 132 faces the first end of the housing 102. When the storagecompartments 130 and 132 are stacked on each other, they fit into thefirst end 104 of the housing 102 with a clearance fit between them andthe interior surface of the housing 102.

As best seen in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8, the second end 106 of the housing 102is also provided with multiple cannabis paraphernalia storagecompartments, the open or end views of which are best seen in FIG. 4 andidentified by reference numerals 140, 142, 144 and 146. As best seen inFIG. 7 and FIG. 9, the storage compartments 140, 142, 144 and 146 are“elongated,” i.e. they extend into the housing 102. The compartmentsextend into the housing 102 such that they are substantially parallel toeach other as well as physically separated from each other.

Each compartment 140, 142, 144 and 146 has an opening with acorresponding shape and area, which are best seen in FIG. 4. The areasand shapes of the openings in compartments 140 and 144 are substantiallythe same. The areas and shapes of the openings into the othercompartments 142 and 146 are different from each other as well as thefirst two compartments, 140, 144.

In a preferred embodiment the first elongated storage area 146 has anopening sized, shaped and arranged to receive a conventional butane“cigarette lighter” therein. Matches can also be kept in the firststorage area 146.

Two other openings, 140 and 144 and which are adjacent to the firstopening 146 are sized, shaped and arranged to accept or receive amarijuana cigarette, also known as a joint or doobie. A fourth elongatedstorage area 142 is sized, shaped and arranged to receive either a pipeor various tools, an example of which is a tweezers. Any one or more ofthe storage areas 140, 142, 144 and 146 can also be used to holdcigarette rolling papers therein.

Those of ordinary skill in the art should recognize the advantages andbenefits of a container, capable of providing a hermetic seal, in whichmarijuana, tobacco or other leafy plants can be stored with theequipment necessary to use such plant material. Those of ordinary skillin the art should also recognize that the physical size of such acontainer can be changed as a design choice, the preferred embodimenthaving exterior dimensions similar to that of a conventional frozenorange juice container. Increasing the length and diameter will ofcourse increase the size of the items and material that can be placedinside the container but at the expense of making the container moredifficult to carry about, store or carry on one's person.

The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration only. The truescope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A container for cannabis, tobacco and other leafymaterial (a container), the container comprising: a housing having firstand second opposing ends and an exterior surface, the housing's endsbeing open and providing access into an interior of the housing, thehousing having first and second pairs of cap engagement tabs extendingoutwardly from the exterior surface and located proximate the open ends,a first pair of cap engagement tabs being located proximate the firstend, a second pair of cap engagement tabs being located proximate thesecond end; a first inclined sealing surface located between the firstpair of cap engagement tabs and a midpoint of the housing, the firstinclined sealing surface extending around the exterior surface of thehousing; and a second inclined sealing surface located between thesecond pair of cap engagement tabs and the midpoint of the housing, thesecond inclined sealing surface extending around the exterior surface ofthe housing; and a first end cap, sized, shaped and arranged to fit overthe first end of the housing and engage the first pair of cap engagementtabs, the first end cap having an inclined sealing surface extendingaround an interior of the first end cap and engage the first inclinedsealing surface with a transition fit; a second end cap, sized, shapedand arranged to fit over the second end of the housing and engage thesecond pair of cap engagement tabs, second end cap having an inclinedsealing surface extending around an interior of the second end cap andengage the second inclined sealing surface with a transition fit.
 2. Thecontainer of claim 1, further comprising: first and second storagecompartments, the first storage compartment being sized, shaped andarranged to stack on the second storage compartment, the stacked storagecompartments being sized, shaped and arranged to fit inside the housingwith a clearance fit between the storage compartments and an interiorsurface of the housing, both storage compartments having first ends, thefirst end of each compartment facing the first end of the housing, bothcompartments also having closed second ends facing the second end of thehousing, the first ends of at least one compartment having a removablecover.
 3. The container of claim 2, wherein at least one storagecompartment is sized, shaped and arranged to hold a grinder for leafyplants.
 4. The container of claim 1, wherein the inclined sealingsurface in the first end cap and the first inclined sealing surface onthe housing are configured to provide a substantially water-tight sealwhen they are engaged to each other.
 5. The container of claim 1,wherein the inclined sealing surface in the second end cap and thesecond inclined sealing surface on the housing are configured to providea substantially water-tight seal when they are engaged to each other. 6.The container of claim 1, wherein the housing is substantiallycylindrical.
 7. The container of claim 1, wherein the housing has crosssectional shape that is substantially elliptical.
 8. The container ofclaim 1, wherein the second of the housing comprises first and secondelongated compartments extending inwardly from the second end of thehousing toward the midpoint of the housing, the first and secondelongated storage compartments being physically separated from eachother and substantially parallel to each other.
 9. The container ofclaim 8, wherein the first and second elongated compartments havecorresponding openings, which have corresponding areas, the areas of thefirst and second elongated compartments being different from each other.10. The container of claim90, wherein the opening area of at least oneelongated storage compartment is sized, shaped and arranged to receive abutane cigarette lighter.
 11. The container of claim 9, wherein theopening area of at least one elongated storage compartment is sized,shaped and arranged to receive a marijuana cigarette.
 12. The containerof claim 9, wherein the opening area of at least one elongated storagecompartment is sized, shaped and arranged to receive a plurality ofcigarette rolling papers.
 13. The container of claim 9, wherein theopening area of at least one elongated storage compartment is sized,shaped and arranged to receive tools.
 14. The container of claim 8,wherein at least one of the first and second inclined surfaces on theexterior of the housing is substantially conical.
 15. The container ofclaim 8, wherein at least one of the inclined sealing surfaces in thefirst and second caps is substantially conical.